Seventh graders Alexandra Jabour of Garden City and Conor Antoniou of Rockville Centre are looking forward to delivering handmade toys and gifts to the children at the Manhasset and Roosevelt Headstart programs. For more than 25 years, students at Buckley Country Day School have hosted annual holiday parties for the pre-school participants in the Nassau County Headstart Program. Once again, on December 11th, as part of the Buckley community service tradition, all fifth through eighth graders delivered gifts, played and sang holiday songs, and brought joy and warmth to the young children at both the Manhasset and Roosevelt Headstart sites who look forward to their return each year.

All Buckley students in Grades 1 through 8 prepared gifts during the weeks preceding the parties. Some wrapped hats and mittens while others created and assembled craft packets. Still other Buckley students preferred to bake gingerbread men to decorate with the Headstart children. Among the most treasured gifts is the collection of handmade wooden pull toys, shaped and assembled in Buckley’s woodshop by the older students. Young Buckley students enjoyed painting these toys with colorful vegetable dye in their regular art classes.

Buckley upper school students Jacqueline O’Brien of Old Brookville, Ryann Couglin-Roberti of Garden City, and Madeline O’Brien of Old Brookville enjoy some fun preparing gifts for the annual Buckley Headstart holiday parties. Buckley Country Day School is grateful to the Nassau County Headstart Program for giving its students the opportunity to share in the giving spirit of the season. For further information, visit Buckley’s website at www.buckleycountryday.com.